Balta
by Sage Morsinger
Summary: To Steele, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Fem!Balto/Steele Balta isn't ashamed of her wolf-half. It will follow the movie line a bit when it comes to the medicine run. I hope this story is as good as my other. Disclaimer: I do not own Balto or any of the characters, I only own the idea for this story. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Here is my Balto story featuring Balta (Fem!Balto) and Steele pairing. Enjoy~**

It wasn't often a new canine resident arrived in Nome, Alaska. Rumors of the newest resident being part wolf made others steer clear of the half-breed. Steele, a large black and white Alaskan husky with ice blue eyes, had yet to catch a glimpse of the elusive half-breed. When he had first heard of the new resident, he didn't know how he felt, as he had never met a half-breed, let alone a wolf, before.

It was during his teams second race that he finally caught sight of the elusive canine. She was watching the race from atop a building, giving her the best vantage point. She had dark gray top coat with a lighter gray chest and underbelly. Her amber eyes seemed to glow in the sunlight as her tail wagged back and forth with excitement.

She was small in size, maybe only half the size of Steele himself, and obviously built more for speed than strength. To the other dogs, she was seen as outsider. To Steele though, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He focused back on the race and narrowed his eyes. He would never admit it aloud, but he wanted to win this race especially just to impress her, seeing how much she was enjoying watching the race.

He looked to his left to see the opposing team closing in on them. He was not losing to them, especially not when the mysterious half-wolf was watching. He pushed his team and himself past their limits and soon reached the finish line, crossing it. His team slowed down to a stop, and he risked a glance towards the building hiding the half-wolf. She was smiling, he could tell. She seemed to enjoy racing as much as he did.

He watched as she left the building, heading to who knows where. He promised himself he would try to find her once he got away from everyone else. He turned back to his team as they posed for pictures and were given medals for winning the race.

Balta had been excited to watch the large, handsome black and white husky win the race. He seemed to have a love for racing that rivaled hers. It was refreshing, seeing another canine with the same passion she had for racing. He was a bit bulking in the chest and shoulder areas, but all of the bulk was pure muscle. His ice blue eyes would land on her every now and then, showing he was as curious about her as she was of him.

She decided to leave once she witnessed the end of the race. She knew he would win but wanted to stay and see it happen. She had made a small den in an abandoned fishing boat a few miles away from the town. A wild goose, Boris, who had taken care of her since she was a pup was sweeping the deck, trying to keep it somewhat clean, despite all the snow that continued to pile up.

"So how was the race?" Boris asked.

"I was good," Balta said, "The black and white husky's team won."

"Ah," the old goose said, already knowing Balta was interested in the large husky in more ways than one, "Are you going to talk to him?"

"How can I?" she sighed, "he's always surrounded by his team and the other dogs would rather rip out my throat than actually talk to me, let alone let me near him. There's no point in hopeing for the hopeless Boris."

"Not all things are hopeless Balta," Boris reassured her, "you just have to give it time. Things will get better."

The she-wolf huffed a sigh, not really feeling up to believing what her guardian told her. How she wished her mother, Anui the great white wolf, was here. She always seemed to have an answer for everything. She missed how they would stay up all night on the full moons and howl their songs for the great Borealis to hear. It had been hard on her when she lost her mother. She had a brother somewhere, but she had never asked where he was. She curled up under and old blanket to keep warm as she let sleep finally overcome her.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Without further adieu... Chapter 2! Enjoy~**

It wasn't until a week later that Steele was finally able to get away from his owners and teammates. He had been trying to track down the ever elusive she-wolf. It was not easy, especially when one had two other huskies that wouldn't leave well enough alone. He had raced out of the town the first chance he got, mainly just to get away from the hovering the other dogs were doing.

Steele snorted at the thought of the other dogs on his team. They were aa good team and all, but they weren't his main interest. He was about three miles away from the town of Nome when he saw an old abandoned fishing boat. On the roof of said boat was the main objective he had been searching for. She was breathtaking, her fur shining in the sunlight. Her eyes were closed, indicating she either sleeping or dozing.

He approached her cautiously, not wanting her to run away from him before he at least got her name. He was about two feet from the boat when her eyes opened, obviously hearing him walk up to her home. Ice blue met blazing amber as Balta assessed the large male husky in front of her. His eyes held no maliciousness and no vile intent, only curiosity.

"Not a bad race," she started the conversation when it became clear he wasn't, "for a house pet at least."

"House pet?!" Steele scoffed amused, "I will have you know I come from a long line of racers. Thank you very much."

"House pet~" Balta all but sang in a teasing manner.

"Not a house pet," Steele huffed, "My name is Steele by the way."

"Balta," she introduced herself, "what brings you way out here? You usually don't leave town."

"I needed to get away from the others for a while," Steele explained, "They are a great team and all but they hover a bit too much for my taste."

"Hahaha," Balta laughed, "yeah they tend to do that a lot don't they? I've been watching them for a few weeks now and from what I've seen they aren't the best to hang around. Especially with how closeminded they are to those who are different."

"Your wolf side, right?" the large husky asked.

"Yeah," Balta confirmed, "they don't take kindly to me being half-wolf. Then again neither do the humans. But there isn't much I can do about it."

"Hmm," Steele hummed lost in thought.

Balta looked at the handsome husky in front of her. He was lost deep in thought, and from the looks of his frown, they weren't goods ones. She stood up and stretched before shaking her fur free of any clinging snow, before jumping down from the boat roof, landing in front of him. Steele, startled, backed up a few paces, looking at her with surprise filled eyes.

"Wanna race?" Balta asked, her blazing amber eyes alight with mischief and excitement.

"So sure you can keep up?" Steele goaded playfully, relieved to have something to take his mind off of his previously deep thoughts.

They both crouched down in preparation to run, and both took off, running as fast as they could. Balta and Steele were neck to neck in their friendly race, until Balta started pulling ahead of Steele, running faster than any canine he had ever seen. He had to give credit to her wolf side, for her ability to push past her limits had to have come from that part of her heritage. He was impressed as she outpaced him, clearly breaking the record he and his father, Roscoe, had set for racing.

Balta had never had so much fun racing before. She was usually running alone, without anyone to keep her company. Now, though, she felt like she found someone who understood her love for racing. She skidded to a stop and looked behind her to see Steele was at least a mile behind her. She sat down to catch her breathe as she waited for Steele to catch up to her. He stopped next to his new friend, panting heavily, and practically collapsed onto the snow-covered ground next to her.

"Hahaha," Balta laughed, "house pet~"

"I *huff* am not *huff* a house pet *huff*," Steele said trying to regain his breath.

"So sure about that?" Balta asked.

"Yes I'm sure," Steele chuckled, "how did you get so fast?"

"I love running," she said, "I was usually the one the packs used to send messages to other packs. You have to be fast to make it to the other packs in enough time for them to get whatever information is being sent to them."

"Really?" Steele asked astonished that wolf packs had such dynamics when it came to a message system.

"Uh-huh," Balta said, "What do you wanna do now?"

"Why don't we go back to your boat and you can tell me what it's like being a wolf," Steele suggested.

"Sounds good," she said as they began their trek back to Balta's home.

During the walk back, Balta told Steel about what it was like to be a wolf, from their keen sense of smell to their large paws used for climbing and their uncanny ability to make it through whiteout blizzards. Steele was fascinated by everything she told him. He had never known just what wolves went through in the wild and found himself feeling lucky that he never had to worry about going hungry because food was scarce. He stayed with his new friend until the sun was setting, knowing he would have to get home soon, even if he was hesitant to leave Balta here alone.

"I have to head home now," Steel said, "You sure you'll be alright here alone?"

"I'll be fine," Balta reassured her friend, "you better go before they come looking for you."

"Good night Balta," Steele said as he left.

"Good night Steele," was what echoed after him.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Kinda short for a chapter but it was all I could come up with for this one. Without further adieu... Chapter 3! Enjoy~**

Steele had been lost in thought as he made his way back to his human's home. He didn't realize he had, instead of going home, ended up at his father's home. Roscoe had been laying on the porch, as if he knew his only son needed someone to talk to. Steele walked over and sat down next to his father, both of them looking up at the stars.

"What has you so deep in thought?" Roscoe asked.

"What is your opinion of our resident half-breed?" Steele asked not looking at his father.

"You mean Balta?" Roscoe asked. Steele looked at his father, shocked that he knew her name. "Don't look so shocked. Her father, Logan, used to be on my team before we retired. He told me about Aniu and the pup they had together. Named her Balta. I can see a lot of her mother in her, though she has her father's coloring. Why do you ask?"

"Is it bad that I want to be her friend?" he asked.

"With her," Roscoe said, "No. She has a good head on her shoulders and doesn't let fame or pride get in the way of what is important. Did you run with her?"

"Yeah," Steele answered.

"How did it make you feel?" was the question shot at him.

"I… I felt… I have never felt as free as when I ran with her," Steel admitted, "I felt all the tension and all my worries just disappear. It felt right, like I had found something I never knew was missing."

"Good," his father said, "you listen to your heart and instincts and you will never be steered wrong. Logan listened to his heart when he fell in love with Aniu. You can listen to yours when it comes to being friends with Balta. Now go get some sleep. I am more than sure you plan on going to visit your new friend again tomorrow."

"I will," Steele said, "Thanks dad."

Roscoe nodded to his son and watched him head home. The old husky looked up at the stars, wishing his best friend were here to help with the situation. He knew the humans would never accept Balta simply because she was half-wolf. But that didn't stop him from hoping and praying to the Borealis that one day they would.


	4. Chapter 4

Racing between Balta and Steele became a daily occurrence while outside of the town. The large husky truly enjoyed spending time with his half-wolf friend. She taught him how to survive should he and his team ever get separated, or if he and his team ever got lost. He had always worried about making a big run, only to get lost because of an unexpected blizzard.

During the past month, Balta had made another friend in the gentle red and cream husky named Jenna. Jenna didn't care that Balta was half-wolf, and they became quick friends. Steele was relieved that Balta would have someone to talk to when he wasn't there. Balta fell in love with Jenna's girl, Rosy. She was such a sweet child and never judged Balta for her heritage. The child was the only human who was kind to the half-wolf, and that earned her a special spot in Balta's heart.

Thanks to the races Steele had with Balta, his speed and stamina increased exponentially, leading to him and his team winning every race they participated in. He was barely winded after their races, and many wondered how he did it, though he never told them. He always ignored their questions, his mind seemingly always occupied by thoughts of Balta. Steele was never able to work up the courage to tell his half-wolf friend his feelings for her.

It wasn't until Rosy fell ill that things started going south. Rosy was the eighteenth case to have fallen ill. Jenna was worried sick about her as was Balta. Steele was worried as well, because this was the one human that treated Balta fairly. He knew if anything were to happen to her, Balta would be heart broken. So when he heard of the possibility that the sled team would have to retrieve the medicine, he was the first in line to go. He could only hope that they didn't get blindsided by a blizzard on the way back.


	5. Chapter 5

On the day that they left, he had walked over to Balta, who had been sitting with Jenna, giving her at least a little comfort in knowing her friend was there to support her. The half-wolf looked up as he approached them, amber eyes pleading with him to be safe. He pressed his forehead against hers, telling her without words that he and the team would be back soon with the medicine.

As Steel and his team left, his only thought was getting back with the medicine for Balta. The team ran hard, trying to make in to the train depot before the blizzard hit. They made it to the depot in record time, Steel was tired but knew he had to get the medicine back to the town. The humans loaded the crate of medicine and the team was off once again. They were off to a good start back until a blizzard blind-sided them. Steel, not used to harsh blizzards like this, panicked. He couldn't tell which way was which. He was so panicked that he didn't pay attention to where they were going, and collision ensued.

They musher hit his head, rendering him unconscious. All the dogs were scattered. Steel sat there, heart racing, panting. He couldn't believe this had happened. They couldn't find their way back, there was no way of getting the medicine back in time to save the kids. For once in his life, Steel felt absolutely and completely hopeless.


	6. Chapter 6

Balta was worried. She knew the team had reached the checkpoint at the depot. She knew they had left, heading back with the medicine. They should have gotten back by now. She and Jenna sat on a crate outside the window of the doctors' office.

"I really hope they are alright," Balta sighed, "They should have made it back by now."

"If they don't make it back in time . . ." Jenna said.

"I know," Balta said, a determined looked glowing in her amber eyes, "I'm going look for them."

"WHAT?! Are you crazy?" Jenna exclaimed.

"No, I'm not crazy," Balta said jumping off the crate and started walking towards the edge of the town, "Steel can handle snow flurries, but a full-on blizzard would send him into a panic. He doesn't know how to navigate through them. I have to go find them."

"At least promise me you will be careful," Jenna pleaded, "I can't lose my best friend."

"I will be careful," Balta reassured her friend, "I promise."

With that Balta took off towards the forest, following the scent trail that was left over from when the team left. She had been searching for at least an hour by now when she was suddenly attacked by a large black bear. Balta was scared, she knew exactly what kind of damage a bear that large could do to someone as small as her. It took a while, but she finally managed to trick the bear into falling into an ice-covered lake.

She had a large gash on her left shoulder that was bleeding profusely, and her paw was dislocated as well. She sighed but continued on her journey to find the missing team, scratching the back off of trees to make a clear path back to the town.


	7. Chapter 7

Steel and his team were sitting around a fire, now a lot calmer than before. They were lost, with no way to get back. Steel felt disappointed in himself. He was team leader, he should have been more careful and now his musher was hurt. He wished Balta were with him. She seemed to know what to do in these situations.

"Steel!" a familiar voice echoed through the wind. His ear perked up, twitching as he tried to hear it again. "Steel?!" There it was again. He knew that voice. It was Balta. He remembered her telling him that wolves howled to each other to let their location be known. So, he threw his head back and howled. The others looked at him like he was crazy.

"Steel!" Balta called as she broke through the tree line. "Are you all okay?"

"We are fine," Steel reassured her, "but our musher hit his head. He hasn't woken up yet."

"The children are getting worse," Balta told them, "If we don't get that medicine back, they won't make it to see the next morning."

Steel caught a slight discoloration on her left shoulder. His blue eyes narrowed, and he moved closer for a better look. What he saw had his blood boiling. A long, deep gash on her left shoulder was bleeding sluggishly and her paw looked dislocated. Steel took a deep breath to calm down. It wouldn't do any good if he were to lose his temper, especially around her.

"How do we get back?" Steel asked her, knowing she had thought of something.

"I marked the trees by scratching some bark off," Balta explained, "Just follow the trail and we should get back to the town."

"Alright," Steel said taking command, "Lets get our musher into the sleigh and secure him. Balta! You are riding in the sleigh with our musher."

"But Steel . . ." Balta tried to argue.

"No arguing Balta," Steel said sternly, "You are hurt. You shouldn't even be walking on your left leg. I have no doubt you are also feeling the effects of blood loss as well. You are riding in the sleigh and that is final."

"Yes Steel," Balta said softly. She was slightly hunched into herself. She knew he was right as she was feeling dizzy from the blood loss.

The other dogs said nothing against her, as they watched Steel maneuver her onto the sleigh in a secured position. Once everything was secured, Steel started leading the team back, following the trail that Balta had marked.


End file.
